SWANS, HEKONS, AND HAWKS. II 



other frowningly ; but the speech of a Sachem 

 seemed to produce a favourable hnpression, and 

 peace and fricndhness prevailed. Thanks to our 

 new friends, we were now able to participate in a 

 kind of sport which (except in Holland and Scotland) 

 is now quite extinct in Europe — hawking for herons. 

 The hawks of America closely resemble those of 

 Europe, and are of about the same size and strength. 

 The only difference is in the colour of their plumage, 

 which is darker. As for the manner of training 

 them for hunting purposes, my ignorance of the 

 Indian language prevented me from gaining the 

 information necessary to describe it accurately. 



The day after the Black Feet arrived among us, 

 we all started towards a marsh which was caused 

 by some neighbouring springs. Everybody kept 

 profoundly silent. Two dogs dashed into some 

 rushes which grew on one side and started a large 

 gray heron, who took flight at once, soaring as if 

 he would soon be lost in space. In a few seconds, 

 he was visible only as a black speck upon the blue 

 sky. In a short time, one of the five falcons which 

 the Red Skins had with them was let go after him. 

 At first the bird stood still on the edge of the dark box 

 in which he had been shut up, but suddenly look- 

 ing up, he perceived his long-necked quarry, ut- 

 tered two or three screams of rage, and with a flight 

 almost as swift as that of a bullet, sprung upwards 

 almost perpendicularly. Meanwhile, the heron 



